Arsenal's summer signing Georgios Tzolis is quickly proving that his difficult spell in English football is firmly behind him, with manager Mikel Arteta already lavishing praise on the Greek winger following an impressive start to pre-season.
Tzolis arrived at the Emirates on the back of a stellar campaign at Club Brugge, where he was directly involved in 40 goals last season, scoring 17 and setting up 23 as the Belgian side lifted the league title. That kind of output stands in stark contrast to his time at Norwich City between 2021 and 2024, when he managed just three goals in 30 appearances and struggled to make an impact in the Championship.
The turning point in his career came during a loan spell at German second-tier club Fortuna Dusseldorf in the 2023-24 season, where he found his scoring touch again, netting 24 goals in 35 matches. That form convinced Club Brugge to sign him from Norwich, and he has continued to flourish in Belgium ever since, establishing himself as one of the most productive creative players on the continent.
His quality was on full display during Arsenal's recent friendly in Cardiff, where he registered two assists and completed more passes into the final third than any other Gunners player on the pitch. Despite not possessing blistering pace, Tzolis has built his game around intelligent positioning and composure in the final third, qualities that have clearly caught Arteta's eye.
The 23-year-old has been brought in to fill the void left by Leandro Trossard, who departed for Besiktas in July, and Arteta has drawn comparisons between the two wide players. While Trossard was involved in more goals during last season's Champions League campaign, statistics show Tzolis created almost double the number of chances - 13 compared to seven - and completed significantly more passes in the final third, 138 against Trossard's 80.
Tzolis has already shown he is capable of performing on the biggest stages. During last season's Champions League run with Club Brugge, he scored against both Atalanta and Atletico Madrid, and also provided an assist in a match against Barcelona. His set-piece delivery has been a particular weapon, with 52 of his 135 chances created in the Belgian Pro League last season - some 38.5 percent - coming from dead-ball situations. That knack was evident again in pre-season when his corner led to a goal for Piero Hincapie against Real Betis.
Arteta has been particularly struck by how seamlessly Tzolis has settled into Arsenal's setup.